Orphanage Tales
by Henry Vyne
Summary: WARNING: MAJOR SEASON 5 SPOILERS Set after the end of the show in modern day (2013). Merlin de-ages himself and volunteers at an orphanage in Manchester. He mostly does the odd-jobs around the place and one day the children want a story and he seems to be the only adult there to tell one.
1. Chapter 1

Merlin rubbed his calloused hands for a while, finishing from the task of putting a new window in the children's bedroom. It was 7:30 P.M. and the children were shuffling into their beds upset with having to go to bed so soon. They were permitted to read books during their quiet time until 8:00, and then it was lights out time.

He was packing up his tool case when one of the children, Jeremy was his name as Merlin recalled, came up to him. "Will you tell us a bedtime story?" At the mention of a bedtime story all of the children became very rambunctious and excited, kind of the reversed effect you would want a bedtime story to give.

Merlin looked down and smiled at all of the little children. "I suppose one wouldn't hurt," he said with a broad grin. The children exclaimed and giggle all gathering around in a circle in the middle of the room. Most of them had made conversation with Merlin before, but he had never told them a story before, or talked for very long. Non the less he was still a familiar face that most of the children had come to enjoy being around.

"Well, then," He said sitting down on the floor joining the children."What do you want to hear about?" There were many suggestions, but none piqued Merlin's interest. The ones that the children wanted were riddled with zombies and vampires. While Merlin had met several vampires in his life, both good and bad, and wraiths also (he thought that wraiths classified close enough to zombies) he didn't think it was a good enough topic to talk about.

"I know," He finally said. The children's faces lit up with excitement and eagerness to learn what they were going to hear about. "I'll tell you about the Knights of the Round Table". The children looked far from pleased. Merlin noticed and inquired "What's wrong?"

"Well," One of the children finally spoke up. Merlin remembered her name was Taylor.

"Yes, Taylor?" He asked.

"Well, we already read about that in history, and it's not fun at all reading about an old wizard named Merlin and a stuffy old King Arthur."

The children around the room nodded with consent and agreement. "But, that's just it," said Merlin smiling gleefully. "The history books have it all wrong."

The children looked at him with doubt etched across their young faces and Merlin sighed and smiled. "Just give it a chance." He looked around and nobody protested, so he continued.

"In a land of myth and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy. His name? Merlin."


	2. Chapter 2

"Now it all started with Merlin walking down the road to Camelot," Merlin began. "When he arrived in Camelot, he witnessed the tyrant king, Uther, executing a young man for sorcery"

Merlin explained the sever laws against magic that Uther had placed twenty years ago that were punishable by death. He then went on to explain the witch that threatened to kill Arthur, and of the banquet that Uther was going to hold that night.

"Merlin had left the busy and crowded courtyard and entered the castle, in search of finding Gaius, who was the court physician." Merlin was about to go on when one of the children interrupted his story telling.

"What's a physician?" He asked. Merlin smiled at the child. "Physician is just another word for doctor," he explained. "It's the word they used back when Camelot still stood." Pain ripped through Merlin's worn heart. Though it had been many years since Camelot's destruction, he still felt queasy whenever he though about it. So he blocked those thoughts from his mind and continued with the story.

"Merlin's mother Hunith had sent Merlin to Camelot to live with Gaius, in the hopes that Merlin could learn a few things about him." Pain once again radiated though Merlin at the memories of his mother, but he had already started the story, and he was determined to finish it. Besides, he was the only one in the entire world who remembered his mother, Will, Percival, and many other friends that the books of history had failed to keep them in. If he could spread the memories of his dear friends with other people, perhaps he wouldn't feel so lonely, even if those people were only children.

"When he reached the door leading into Gaius's chambers, seemed to startle the old man, and he fell off of the balcony that he had been standing on. Even though Merlin had just witnessed an execution and knew full well what would happen to him if anyone found out, used his magic to save Gaius in time before he fell."

The children gasped "Merlin has magic?" One of them asked. Merlin looked confused. "Well, yeah, of course. I thought you said you read about him in history?" He said saying like a question. Another child responded. "Well, we do, but you're changing so many things, making Merlin a young man and all, I guess we just thought he didn't have magic either. Kind like you just took the names but changed the person."

Merlin smiled again. "Not at all," he said "What I say is all true. In fact, I am a descendant of Merlin himself and these stories have been passed down to a child, until that child grows and tell his child." _That's more or less true, he thought to himself, I am Merlin, so I'm kind of a descendant. And these stories have been passed down through children, just not my children._

He continued on. "The stories that we have today are the ones that just took the names and a rough idea of the story. And about the magic. Merlin was the most powerful magician ever to live, and will still be the most powerful all the way through the end of time itself.

The children gasped in awe, and Merlin felt very satisfied, not to mention a bit happy of all the praise he was giving himself.

"If he's so powerful, how come he died? Who killed him? If he couldn't defend himself in a fight then I don't think he anything all that special." One of the older children (Christopher was his name) looked at Merlin with great disbelief.

"Who says he ever died?" Merlin finally said. The children gasped once again at the thought of Merlin still walking around somewhere. Merlin felt very satisfied again, but that didn't last long at all as Christopher caught his very large mistake.

"Well, then I want to meet him. After all, you are related, aren't you?" Merlin blinked a few times wishing he had just held his tongue instead of bragging about his fake lineage. "Maybe another day, but I've actually never met him, and we need to get on with the story before bedtime."

Christopher plastered a smug smile on his face at defeating Merlin, but still slightly interested in the story, even if it was fake, stuck around for a while listening intently.

"Anyway," Merlin continued, "Gaius was going to keep Merlin's secret and not tell anyone about magic. He even gave me a book of spells to practice."

"You said 'me'." Jeremy looked up at Merlin with confusion.

"What?" Merlin asked.

"You said 'He even gave me a book of spells.' ."

Merlin silently cursed himself. You would think that after all this time, he would be able to control his mouth a bit better. "I meant Merlin," Merlin said quickly, "I get my words and letters consufed all the time." The children laughed at this. "You said consufed!" They giggled. Merlin chuckled along with them, happy that they were leaving the subject alone. Same as all those hundreds of years before though, Merlin had just made himself look a complete idiot. He wondered if it would ever end.

"Anyway," Merlin continued again. "Merlin was walking in the market place exploring Camelot for a while when he saw a group of knights on the training grounds picking on a servant."

"Merlin watched as the knights teased the servant until they made him pick up a large wooden shield and run back and forth along the field so that one of the knights, who seemed like the leader of them, could use the shield for knife throwing practice. Finally, Merlin had enough of it and confronted the leader if the small group of knights, saying

'Alright, that's enough. You've had your fun my friend.'

The knight took several steps towards him until he was standing directly ahead of him. 'Do I know you?' he asked.

'I'm Merlin' Merlin said while extending his hand forward to shake the knight's.

'So I don't know you?' the knight questioned again.

Merlin shook his head and knight started to walk around Merlin. 'Tell me, Merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?'

'No' Merlin answered strongly.

'Would you like me to teach you?' The knight asked mockingly."

Merlin's mind went blank and he couldn't remember what he said next. He had replayed this scene over and over in his mind for many years after Arthur had died, but it was so many years ago when that day took place, the day he met Arthur. Merlin quickly improvised and made something up.

" 'Well, you do look like you have lots of experience, but I think I'll pass on this one.' Merlin retorted.

The knight laughed at him. 'You had better watch it. I can take you apart with one blow.'

'And I can take you apart with less than that' Merlin swung his arm at the arrogant knight's face but yelped with pain as the knight twisted it behind his back. 'I can have you thrown in the dungeons for that'.

'And who do you think you are, the king?' " Merlin paused for effect and he could see the children waiting eagerly for the story to continue.

" 'No, I'm his son, Arthur.' " The children stared at Merlin. "Wait, Arthur?" Ash said. "I thought Arthur was supposed to be the good guy!" "He is!" Reassured Merlin. "Or at least, he will be." Merlin sighed. "You don't really know him yet. He really was a good person once he grew up a bit."

The children looked at Merlin disbelievingly and then the old grandfather clock in the large bedroom chimed signaling bedtime. There was a large chorus of begging to for Merlin to come again tomorrow night and finish the story. He agreed and said he would be there at 7:30.


End file.
